There were more than 1,100 finishers in the Great Island 5K in New Castle on Oct. 7, the fourth race of the 2012 Seacoast Series to total more than 1,000 runners and competitive walkers. With this year’s Series set to conclude with the Great Bay 5K on Oct. 27, participants can look back at the year of racing and reflect on their accomplishments.

Running appeals for many different reasons and the Seacoast Series is unique in that it attracts many different kinds of runners. It is competitive, with trophies to the top three women and men and a cash prize to overall winners; top age-group runners and overall top race walkersalso receive special awards. The Series is inclusive, allowing all with the dedication to race monthly from May to October to earn a signature jacket, regardless of where they finish in the pack. It can be a great starting point both for those looking to improve fitness and for competitive runners to race and determine the top local runners this year.The Series, now in its eighth year, consists of eight races and runners must complete six of the eight races to qualify for a jacket, and two of the races must be longer than 5K. The Series scoring is based on a point system, with a first place finish among Series participants in a race earning one point, second place earning two points, etc.; winners therefore have the lowest total score. If a participant completes all eight races, the best six will count towards the awards. With one race left, Seacoast Series organizer and local race directorJay Diener, sent me the latest standings. The leading runners on the women’s side are Nicole Toye with seven points, Carolyn Durfee (8 points), Anne Marie Prewitt (12 points), and Christine O’Leary (18 points.) Toye has missed just one race, but Durfee, Prewitt and O’Leary all missed two races and must complete the final race to stay alive in the Series. The leading runners on the men’s side are Jim Johnson with five points, Chris Richie (9 points), Peter McNeil (15 points), and Matthew Weber (24 points.) Johnson and Richie have both missed two races and must complete the final race to remain in the series. Among the competitive walkers, Brenda Donroe and Stephan Mayeux have commanding leads but both have missed two races and must complete the last race to stay in the competition. Diener said that 945 people registered for this year’s Seacoast Series, and 350 women and 188 men still remain in the chase. Every year, the Series organizers receive emails from people who let them know that the Series provided motivation and incentive to start or return to running. Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare of New England was an early sponsor of the series because they believed it could help people improve their fitness, lifestyles and overall health, said Diener, and just this week, he received two emails from participants asking for smaller jacket sizes than they requested at the beginning of the season.Jeanine Sylvester, owner of Runner’s Alley and one of the Series creators said that the Series appeals to many because of the unique races that give the runners and competitive walkers the opportunity to run in six different Seacoast towns and enjoy all they have to offer. She agrees that it is also a reason to stay motivated from May to October, and even November if they do the Seacoast Half Marathon, known as the ‘bonus’ race. Local runners Kelly and Mike Skubisz are set to complete the Series with the final race and they agree that the consistency of training over a long period of time and having race dates as firm goals definitely motivated them to get out and run this year. This was Kelly’s third time running the Series, and Mike’s first, and he said the training over the summer got him used to running; if it had been only one race he admits he might not have kept up the training. They also each said that the training time spent together was bonus quality time.So there you have it – another Series set to conclude with a close finish for the winners, happy marriagesamong participants, and health and fitness gains for all. It sounds to me like another successful year.Running Notes: On Oct.20, run the Vulcan’s Fury Trail Race in Pawtuckaway State Park, Nottingham – 12 miles of technical trail running on what was once a volcanic site; Oct. 21, brings the Horne Street School 5K Run and 2 Mile Fitness Walk in Dover, and the popular Baystate Marathon and Half Marathon in Lowell, Mass.Nancy Eckerson writes about running for Foster’s Sunday Citizen. You can reach her at nerunner1@comcast.net.